Big Boom: Explosive New Products Hit The Floor At NAB2002, Part 1 (A-N)

Everyone is approaching NAB2002 with great curiosity. As the first major industry show after September 11 and in the middle of what appears to be an economic turnaround, this year's event holds a certain mystery unlike any before. The whole industry is approaching Las Vegas with both a sense of excitement and reservation. Many are reserved about their estimates of attendance while most seem excited about the new possibilities being presented and the chance to re-connect, in person, with other members of the business.

Everyone is approaching NAB2002 with great curiosity. As the first major industry show after September 11 and in the middle of what appears to be an economic turnaround, this year's event holds a certain mystery unlike any before. The whole industry is approaching Las Vegas with both a sense of excitement and reservation. Many are reserved about their estimates of attendance while most seem excited about the new possibilities being presented and the chance to re-connect, in person, with other members of the business.

And of course this comes at a time in the industry's history when there is a degree of instability due to the digital transition. Like the general economy, the industry is showing great signs of resilience and is beginning to rebound, slowly finding its way through the maze of new technologies and regulations to a new equilibrium.

The technologies as realized in new products are a big part of why attendees come to Las Vegas every year, and in spite of the subdued past year, many manufacturers are introducing riveting new products this year. Some of the late additions to DigitalTV's expanded preview edition in March are listed here and include powerful advances in many areasÑfrom new HD camerasÑto advanced networking products, servers, and asset management technologies.

MPEG technologies promise to take a large share of the limelight this year as new compression schemes and greater efficiencies in transport and transcoding issues reveal the latest secrets behind this technology. MPEG's impact on nonlinear systems and the feeding of programming from that stage of the operation to an MPEG-4 stream promise new revelations as well.

Audio has increased its profile in the industry this past year and will continue to do so at the show as higher resolution consoles and recorders are introduced and surround sound continues its assault on the sensibilities of broadcasters and the American public. There will be advances in wireless technology from some of the big name microphone companies as well.

New audio and video recording technologies will abound, perhaps most notably in the form of new hard disk configurations and the advent of DVD-RAM technology. You will see introductions on the media side as well on the recorder and camcorder end of things.

Systems integration may end up being the overall theme of the show as many companies are not only packaging the various elements of their overall product line together but entering into agreements with third party vendors to provide the missing pieces. These more complete offerings, along with ongoing service and support services are being greeted more warmly in the current climate as stations and groups work more lean and mean and as the technologies themselves morph the way we all work in today's broadcast environment.

Progressing from today's state-of-the-art to the evolution of tomorrow's technology is precisely what the NAB show is all about. Have a look here at some of the late additions to the show's exhibited products, review our March issue for the full listing and plan to have a very busy NAB2002. See you there! ------------------------------------------------------------------------

ADC Telecommunications --Booth #L9849

ADC will be introducing its new global ProAx triaxial camera connector family at NAB2002, which features European Fischer standard compatibility. The new global format retains patented features from the U.S. standard including faster and less complicated termination, fewer parts, gender reversibility after termination, field repairable center conductors, and format reversibility with U.S. standard triax. These features enable camera technicians to reverse connector gender quickly without reterminating the cable, or repair center conductors damaged by extreme conditions in the field in a fraction of the time normally required to reterminate the entire cable assembly. In addition, the new global connectors can be converted to U.S. standard triax, and vice versa in less than 60 seconds using only two sets of standard or metric wrenches.

BUF is introducing its Sport integrated instant replay server at NAB2002. It takes up eight square inches of console space and no rack space. In addition, it comes complete with rear panel connections for composite video, stereo audio, timecode, and reference video. Menus allow easy adjustment of horizontal and subcarrier timing for connection to a composite switcher. It can be installed and ready for use in minutes in a fully packed video truck, adding instant replay capability with an ease never before possible. Sport is targeted for small video trucks and control rooms serving college, high school, and other sports organizations.

Calrec is launching the new Sigma 100 medium-format digital audio production console at NAB2002. It is designed to offer similar specification and functionality to the company's S2 analog console and is based on Alpha 100 digital architecture. Aimed at production facilities that do not require large-format consoles but cannot sacrifice reliability or technical specification, all channels include four-band EQ, separate filters, compressor/limiter/expander gate, surround and stereo panning and mix-minus outputs. It also features four surround main outputs, 12 auxes, 24 MT, and eight groups, with 5.1 and stereo monitoring with full Dolby E integration.

Canopus--Booth #S6944 Canopus will hold the U.S. unveiling of its new editing workstation for the broadcast market, CWS-100, at NAB2002. CWS-100 is a workstation designed specifically for the broadcast market powered by dual AMD Athlon processors. It features integrated support of professional edit controllers for playback from professional decks directly onto the Canopus Rextor nonlinear editing timeline. In addition, the workstation has a built-in shuttle-and-jog on sound for precise audio monitoring. It supports DV and component, S-video and composite video input and output. On the audio front, it supports balanced and unbalanced audio input and output. CWS-100 features Canopus's MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 encoding technology.

Communications Specialties will be introducing its Pure Digital Fiberlink 4040 series fiber optic transmission system at NAB2002. It offers all-digital transmission of four independent audio channels over single mode or multimode fiber. The system, which consists of a 4040 transmitter and 4041 receiver, may be installed in a wide range of professional A/V and broadcast applications, in environments such as theaters, auditoriums, clubs, entertainment venues, and retail. The four channels may be used to transmit four independent audio signals, two sets of stereo signals, or to support four-channel surround sound. Each audio channel may be configured individually by the user for either balanced or unbalanced input and output with or without input termination.

Eimac will be introducing it newest K2 family of digital inductive output tubes (IOTs), the K2D150W. The K2D150W has a peak power output of 150 kW with 37 kW average power for DTV service. For analog NTSC service, Eimac is introducing the K2100W with 100 kW peak-of-sync output (visual only) or common mode output of 84 kW peak-of-sync visual combined with 8.4 kW aural. The K2 high-power inductive output tubes plug in to Eimac's (K2)2 cavity hardware. (K2)2 IOT power amplifiers are available for both NTSC and digital operation in peak power levels from 40 to 150 kW.

Euphonix will be introducing a new all-digital broadcast audio mixing console for the local TV station market at NAB2002. It will also be demonstrating various across-the-board product line updates including a new 2.6 software suite with broadcast and post-specific enhancements, plus new hardware infrastructure improvements for the System 5 range of consoles. A version 4.0 software upgrade for the R-1 multitrack recorder will be shown with improved features and full compatibility for the optional AES-31 TransferStation.

At this year's NAB, Hitachi will show a dockable DVD RAM recorder as part of its development of a line of tapeless recorders and camcorders. The units will record MPEG-2 video onto a DVD RAM cartridge with a 60-minute capacity. They will come bundled with software to allow editing of the media in a laptop PC. Media may also be edited in the camera, as well as transferred to a server for further processing. The DVD-RAM recorder is dockable to all Hitachi Z-Series cameras and to most other manufacturers' cameras. Designed for ENG applications, the recorder follows a systems approach to DVD production, with editing software and video clip assembly features inherent in its design. Media can also be edited on editing platforms such as Avid Express and Final Cut Pro, with software plug-ins that will be available. A FireWire output will be available on the deliverable units as well. Video can be transferred by placing the disc into a PC's 4.7 GB DVD-RAM or DVD-ROM drive. Specially designed for news applications, video can be quickly assembled and emailed to a news bureau. DVD-RAM media can be used 100,000 times without any quality degradation.

The recorder delivers CD quality recordings and can record up to one hour of full-motion MPEG-2 video. The recorder utilizes MPEG-2 video compression technology and offers both DVD-R and DVD-RAM format compatibility.

Due to its three-CCD design, resolution on the compact camcorder will be 800TVL. It can record up to one hour of full-motion MPEG-2 video.The company is also showing its full range of products at the show including an FM transmission system and the newly developed second-generation of its SK-3100P and SK-3300P multi-standard, high definition, portable cameras.

IBM will be showcasing several technologies and products and NAB2002. The company's Digital Content Creation Solution, designed to take advantage of Linux functionalities, will make its NAB debut. It was created to facilitate animation, digital content creation, and more efficient rendering capabilities. Also new to the show will be IBM's storage solutions for digital media, which are integrated storage hardware and software solutions for broadcasters, allowing customers to access new markets and revenue streams. The company also will unveil new enhancements to its Media Production Suite (MPS) media asset management product.

IDX--Booth #L11349 IDX is expanding it ENDURA product line with the introduction of the new E-80, a 82Wh, 5.7A, lithium ion battery with the company's PowerLink feature. Using PowerLink, two E-80 batteries can provide 164Wh of on-board power. Also at NAB, IDX will show the new ENDURA Profiler and ENDURA Tower.

Ikegami will demonstrate a host of cameras, monitors, and production equipment for implementing digital television, including switchable (4:3/16:9) digital processing cameras in NTSC, SDTV/HDTV, and HDTV. Both interlace and progressive scan cameras will be demonstrated. Ikegami's compact digital switcher will be one of this year's highlighted products.

In HDTV camera technology, the HDK-790E 2/3-inch 2,200,000-pixel CCD studio camera (switchable 1080i, 720p, and 480p) will be highlighted, featuring 12-bit A/D conversion, and 38-bit internal digital processing circuits. Also in the HD offerings will be the HDK-79E 2/3-inch 2,200,000 pixel CCD camera, and the HDTV portable companion, the HDK-79E(IT) 2/3-inch 2,200,000 pixel CCD. High quality monitors in the booth will be the TM6-1, a 6-inch portable color monitor, the TLM-603

Lectrosonics will have on display its new UH200D plug-on transmitter with selectable 5-, 15- and 48-V phantom power with the same 100 mW output, aluminum construction, size, and weight of other Lectrosonics plug-on transmitters. It will provide stable, high-current phantom power for any electret microphone, with selectable voltage to maximize battery life. The three-position power switch allows the option of also operating the transmitter without phantom power. Also included in the new design is a circulator/isolator in the output stage. The device operates like a one-way check valve to prevent RF signals from feeding back into the final amplifier, thus eliminating IM signals being generated between multiple transmitters.

LiveWave will be showcasing its new CC-100-PRO video origination system for on-air TV and Internet broadcasters. The PRO system supports robotic camera packages from manufacturers such as Panasonic, Sony, Hitachi, Pelco, Kalatel, and Sensormatic. Video feeds can be transmitted in several formats for broadcast or broadband applications. The PRO system can also be used to control almost any professional CCTV, industrial or broadcast camera, and can support SDI, MPEG-1, or MPEG-2 video at various resolutions and frame rates. It supports up to 200 simultaneous users. By using the PRO LiveWave Slave server, up to 2000 users can simultaneously receive high-quality streaming video over the Internet. Multiple video channels and camera sources can also be supported.

The Professional Media Products Division of Maxell has extended its DVD line with the introduction of DVD-RW and DVD-R media for professional video and data storage applications. The new DVD-RW and

DVD-R media complement the currently available DVD-RAM II media that was announced last year. Maxell's rewritable DVD-RW discs are intended for applications where high capacity and the ability to rewrite video or data is demanded. Write-once DVD-R discs are ideal for storing and sharing multimedia presentations (audio, video, and data) and for long-term archival storage where data or asset permanence is required. Maxell's DVD-RW are write-compatible with DVD-RW drives and recorders and can be read by DVD-RW drives and recorders and later generation multi-read DVD-ROM drives and players.

DVD-RAM II discs, for fast random access applications, are available in 4.7 GB single-sided and 9.4 GB double-sided configurations. They are write- and read-compatible with DVD-RAM drives and recorders and read-compatible with DVD-RAM drives and recorders, as well as later generation multi-read drives, recorders, and players.

MedZa, a storage solutions provider for the digital content creation (DCC) and Internet streaming media markets, will exhibit its new VideoRaid FCR storage solution for digital content creation applications at NAB2002. The arrays are designed as local storage for single workstations or as a shared storage solution for DCC applications, such as 2-D/3-D animation, compositing, special effects, game development and nonlinear video editing. The FCR family of disk arrays features a SAN-ready fiber channel interface that enables the five-drive desktop units to sustain up to 95 MBps and the 10-drive, 3U rack-mountable models up to 185 MBps. MedZa FCR disk arrays are designed for building high-bandwidth, low-cost SANs for DCC workgroups.

Network Electronics will be launching a complement of enhancements to extend its Flashlink and VikinX product ranges at NAB2002. Flashlink, Network's optical transport platform developed for the broadcast, telco, and multimedia markets, is capable of transporting up to 40 channels uncompressed SDI, HD-SDI, SDH/SONET, GigE, and others over one single fiber using DWDM multiplexing technology. It converts analog and digital video and audio as well as data, from an electrical signal to an optical wavelength, including audio embedding and de-embedding.

VikinX, the company's complete line of routers, distribution amplifiers and converters, are available in all broadcast, telco, and multimedia formats. New additions to the range will include AD-VCON-1, an analog to serial digital video converter, a new power frame based on the Flashlink 2 RU frame, with power 60 W modules providing both +/-5V and +/-15V. In addition, the functionality of Thor router management software will be integrated into a fully programmable X-Y control panel.

Opticomm--Booth #S4833 Opticomm will be showcasing its DVX-104, an uncompressed, 10-bit serial digital video system at NAB2002. It features a data rate of 270 Mbps, which is free of adjustment over a wide dynamic range, and 24 bits per channel at 18.432Mbps four channel audio AES/EBU. All signals are multiplexed in